The present invention relates generally to a nitrous oxide supplemental fuel system employed with standard intake systems and used in the performance racing industry.
Performance racing encompasses all areas of the sport of racing that includes drag racing, stock car racing, speedboat racing and such. Performance racing has become one of the major spectator sports in the United States and fans from all walks of life share in the sport both as spectators and participants. There are basically two types of participantsxe2x80x94amateur and professional. It is the fact that amateurs can participate that has made performance racing such a popular sport. It should be noted that there is little difference between the amateur participant and the professional participant: the real difference being that the amateur has other employment besides racing, which helps fund his sport.
Simply put xe2x80x9cperformancexe2x80x9d in performance racing means maximizing the horsepower from a given xe2x80x98stockxe2x80x99 engine. There are numerous methods, techniques, additions, etc. that are used to improve horsepower. These techniques range from boring out cylinders, increasing the compression ratio, modifying the inlet and exhaust manifolds (tuning), modifying pistons, changing fuels from gasoline to alcohol, etc. Probably the most popular technique for improving horsepower involves the addition of Nitrous Oxidexe2x80x94N2O to the engine fuel-air system. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gasxe2x80x94used by the dental industry as a anesthetic) provides oxygenation to regular fuel. Essentially the oxygen radical releases more readily to oxygenate the fuel then does the O2 molecule in regular xe2x80x9cair.xe2x80x9d It would be the same as injection of pure oxygen into the engine; however, N2O is much safer. Pure oxygen in direct contact with hydrocarbons spontaneously reacts (explodes); whereas, N2O and fuel requires a source of ignition.
There are several techniques used to add nitrous oxide to the fuel-air system in an engine although all of the techniques share a common mode. Essentially the common mode is the engine""s regular intake system (carburetor or throttle body) coupled with a technique, method, or device to inject a metered combination of fuel and nitrous oxide into the engine whenever the driver desires more horsepower (greater speed) from the engine. Throughout this disclosure, the term ancillary fuel will mean that fuel added to the engine for on-demand increased horsepower.
One method involves injecting a metered mix of ancillary fuel and nitrous oxide into each cylinder on demand. Basically this method is simple fuel injectionxe2x80x94a well-known technique. It is very complex for the rank amateur to install such a system on a stock engine because injection ports must be added to each cylinder on the engine. The addition of injection ports involves complex machining and puts this approach out of the means of most participants.
One popular technique involves the addition of a spray bar beneath the regular throttle body or carburetor between the throttle body or carburetor and the intake manifold to provide the mix of ancillary fuel and nitrous oxide. The device is actually a plate (about xc2xd-inch thick) that contains two conduits each with a series of apertures. One conduit is connected to a source of nitrous oxide and the other conduit is connected to the source of fuel. Whenever the race driver desires increased horsepower, he presses a button in the driving compartment that opens a series of solenoid valves, which in turn pass fuel and nitrous oxide to the spray bar. The fuel-nitrous oxide mixture is then drawn through the intake manifold and into the engine cylinders where it is burnt.
Another popular technique involves the addition of a spray nozzle (or injection nozzle) in the air-fuel intake leading from the air filter to the throttle body or carburetor and into the engine. A spray nozzle mixes auxiliary fuel and nitrous oxide in the proper proportion for xe2x80x9cpower-injectionxe2x80x9d into the engine. (Similar to the spray bar assembly described above.) Stock automobiles have two techniques for transferring air from the air filter to the throttle body or carburetor. In the first technique, the air filter is mounted on top of and directly to the carburetor or throttle body. In the other technique, the air filter is mounted away from the carburetor/throttle body and intake air line or air ducting are (is) run between the air filter and the carburetor/throttle body.
Depending on the type of technique (air filter on top of carburetor/throttle body or air filter separate from carburetor/throttle body) used in a stock engine, the user will either jamb the spray nozzle (or nozzles) into the air filter housing or literally poke a hole (or holes) in the air ducting and use any technique that can be imagined to hold the spray nozzle in place. Usually the air ducting is made from thin plastic ripple-extruded tubes having a diameter varying between three and six inches. Being plastic, there is really no mechanical strength and the spray nozzle can fall out of the ducting. In a similar manner, the nozzle can fall out of the air filter housing. This then creates a fire hazard because, when the nozzle is no longer in its proper place, the unburned fuel and nitrous oxide is sprayed into the engine compartment.
The prior art goes mainly to the spray nozzle (U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,776 to Wood et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,476 to Grant, and U.S. Design Pat. No. D 420,364 to the present inventors), or to the spray bar plate which is to be located between the throttle body or carburetor and the engine (U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,241 to Wood et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,418 to Grant).
Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,321, discloses a Nitrous. Oxide Plate System, which shows the nitrous oxide (oxidizer) bar above the fuel bar. In his disclosure Wood states that xe2x80x9c. . . the overall flow of air through the carburetor increases when the oxidizer system is in operation, and the level of vacuum in the carburetor increases.xe2x80x9d Thus, it is clear that the device is designed to be used in a carbureted system. Further the disclosure clearly indicates that the device is designed to be placed between the intake manifold and the carburetor. (I.e., mounted under the carburetor.) Grant, U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,418, discloses a Dual Stage Nitrous Oxide and Fuel Injection Plate, which also shows the nitrous oxide bar above the fuel bar. Additionally, Grant discloses a xe2x80x9ccrossed setxe2x80x9d of spray bar pairs.
Other prior art found by the inventors shows or discloses various fuel nozzles in which fuel and oxidizer are mixed and sprayed into the manifold. Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,776 discloses a spray nozzle assembly that xe2x80x9c. . . is installed in a threaded opening in the wall . . . in an intake manifold of an engine . . . xe2x80x9d The disclosure goes on to teach that a nozzle is required for each cylinder of the engine. Grant, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,476, also discloses a spray nozzle assembly xe2x80x9c. . . for mounting to a manifold of an internal combustion engine . . . xe2x80x9d Grant, unlike Wood, implies that only one nozzle is needed. Patrick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,099, discloses a complex apparatus to inject nitrous oxide into xe2x80x9c. . . the engine""s air intake . . . xe2x80x9d The disclosure does not explain how the associated injection nozzle should be mounted. Fischer and Jureski, U.S. Pat. No. D 420,346 to the current inventors, disclose a gas-fuel nozzle. The disclosure is a design and does not indicate a method of use or installation for the nozzle.
Thus, there remains a need for an adapter which can safely support a spray nozzle and be capable of solid installation within plastic air ducting used in the air intake system of stock engines or placed between the air filter and the carburetor/throttle body.
The instant invention consists of a cylindrical adapter ring which can be metal or molded plastic. The cylindrical adapterxe2x80x94power ringxe2x80x94has several standard diameters between two and six inches, which matches the plastic air ducting used in stock automobile engines or matches the diameter of the intake throat between the air filter and the carburetor/throttle body. (Typical diameters are three inches for tubing and four inches for carburetor/throttle body throats.) The width of the device varies between one and one-half inches to three inches. One or more spray nozzles can be installed in the invention depending on requirements.
The device is used in one of two ways. For air filters directly mounted to carburetors/throttle bodies, the device is placed between the air filter and the intake throat. The air filter is then placed over the device and the existing supports, or anchoring mechanism, for the air filter is used to hold both the device and the filter in place on the carburetor/throttle body. Gas and fuel lines are then attached to the spray nozzle(s) and the device is now ready for service. For separate air filters the device is placed at a convenient location in the plastic air ducting running from the air filter to the intake throat. On the other hand, if there is not enough room for the first embodiment, then air ducting may be employed. The user would mount the air filter at a convenient location, use air ducting between the air filter and the carburetor/throttle body, and place the second embodiment within the air ducting.